When the king had heard the opinions of his commanders, although they were various, he eagerly determined to combat the count de Charolois, and ordered all, under pain of death, to follow him. He made such diligence that, on the 14th of July, he marched his army, as well by day as by night, twenty-four leagues, and lay at Estampes. On the morrow, he advanced to Chastres, three leagues from Montlehery. On his march, he passed within seven or eight leagues of the army of the dukes of Berry and of Brittany, ignorant that his messengers, whom he had sent to Paris, were made prisoners, or that the count de Charolois was so near him. The king dislodged from Chastres on the 16th, before sunrise, and soon arrived near to Montlehery, whence he saw the enemy drawn up in battle-array below in the valley. The king instantly formed his army into three divisions: the van was given to the command of the seneschal of Normandy, the son of the lord de Norenton, the lord de Barbasan, Malortie, Flocquet Salzart, and other captains: the main body was commanded by the king in person, attended by many of his great lords: and the rear division, consisting of seven or eight hundred men at arms, was given to the count du Maine: so that the king had in his three divisions, as was commonly reported, two thousand two hundred men at arms, or lances, the best appointed that ever men at arms were, for they consisted of the flower of the king of France's forces. There were also great bodies of archers and infantry, besides many that were ill mounted, and on foot, who had remained behind, but who always followed the train of the king. The count de Charolois, observing the manner in which the royal army had been drawn up, formed his own into three divisions also. The first was under the count de St Pol,--the second he reserved to himself,--and the bastard, his brother, commanded the third; but he ordered them all into the line, closing his rear with the baggage-waggons, and pointing his artillery in their front. He ordered his archers to plant a sharp stake before them, to check the charge of the cavalry, if they should attempt to break their line,--and in this state they waited the attack of the king. This was not, however, the case; for the two armies remained, without moving, in their different positions for four hours, excepting some slight skirmishes of the light troops, who were within cross-bow shot of each other. As part of the count's army was too distant from the artillery, it was proposed by some to make their horses fall back, keeping their fronts to the enemy; but the lord de Hautbourdin disapproved of this manœuvre, and said, that were he to retire one step from the place where he was, it would be dangerous and disgraceful to him, and give the enemy courage to advance. In the mean time, different pieces of artillery were played off on both sides, to the destruction of numbers.